


Jubilee

by Missy



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Evil Dead (Movies), Evil Dead - All Media Types
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Family, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-09
Updated: 2011-08-09
Packaged: 2017-10-22 10:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/237197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The people who love Buffy gather for her birthday - for better or for worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jubilee

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KoohiiCafe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoohiiCafe/gifts).



> Written for Raven on the occasion of her birthday. Thanks so much to Amber for beta!

“But I don’t want to wear the blue one!”

Ash grunted as he dangled the offensive bit of fabric from the tip of his metal thumb. “Yeah, well, you gotta,” he retorted. “This is a special occasion, your ma’s counting on us, and I want you to look nice.”

The little blonde rolled her eyes. “Since when do YOU care? YOU’RE okay if I have to walk around with chunks of gum in my hair….”

“Joy, baby…That was an even more special occasion,” he lied, working on her blonde braids. “Okay…” he lifted the comb from her head. “Lookin’ okay?”

She nodded. “Can I wear the green one?”

He smacked a kiss upon her forehead. “Go with blue, kid. Blue’s our lucky color.”

***

“Are you sure you bought everything?” Willow asked Ash as he came through the kitchen toting a bag of chips and his daughter.

“Chill, red. I’ve got it handled.” He put Joy in Willow’s arms while the redhead bustled about to try and figure out if there was enough chili on the table and the candles were high enough. He heard Spike and Angel in the living room complaining about something and rolled his eyes; he didn’t understand either of them, didn’t want to, but tolerated their presence in his wife’s life.

He caught Willow eyeing him suddenly and, in the middle of unzipping Joy’s snowsuit, turned to face her. “What? Do I have a piece of snot hanging out of my nose?”

“Eww,” she complained. “Sometimes I dunno what Buffy sees in you.”

Ash smirked. He knew. He clapped his hands over Joy’s ears and said, “Well, when a boy and a girl love a mountain very much…”

Willow winced. “Oh GODS, Ash…”

“What? I ain’t saying anything you don’t already know.” There was a know-it-all grin, a toss of the head, a laugh. He knew Buffy’ had told Willow SOMETHING; they were broads, best friends besides, and talked nearly constantly.

Willow harrumphed. “We made a pinky promise not to tell anyone about our gossip.”

“Right. Help me carry the dip,” he requested.

“I’ll take Joy instead,” Willow insisted. The little girl came to her with a squeal, and Ash smirked as she hoisted her aloft.

“Y’know, she’s kind of the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Ash teased.

“And Buffy.”

He smirked. “Don’t I fall into the equation there somewhere?”

“Maybe,” Willow smirked that insufferable smart-girl grin of hers. “But Buffy’d be lost without Joy. She never even thought she’d have a kid.”

“Me neither,” he murmured.

“Can I go play with Uncle Spike?”

Ash winced, but Willow lowered her to the ground, patting her back. “Go have fun!”

“Don’t let him bite you!” Ash shouted after her, as Willow rolled her eyes.

Two seconds after he entered with a giant tub of onion dip, Willow’s front door slammed open. Buffy staggered through the door. She was covered in black blood, and flicked back a lock of her blonde hair as she kicked the door shut behind her. “Deadites. At. The mall,” she growled. “ALL I WANTED WAS SOME AMBERCOMBIE TIME.” She raised an eyebrow and stared at the small gathering of friends.

Ash instantly regretted inviting his friend Anthony the stock boy.

“Uh…surprise?” Ash said feebly.

She moaned. “Ash, I told you no parties…” she felt a little arm loop around her knee.

“Happy birthday, mommy,” smiled Joy.

“Oh, honey,” Buffy winces as the dress is besmirched.

“I got you a present!” Joy declared. “It’s a…”

“Don’t say…” Ash said, dipping and kissing her quickly. “Relax, baby. Have some champagne.”

“Ooohhkay, no booze. Ash, I’m covered in something gross and smelly…”

“…Yeah, but I already forgave you for being with Spike.”

She glared at him again. “C’mon, loosen up.” He grinned hugely. “Let’s dance.”

Buffy rolled her eyes before extending her arm and hand. Ash somehow got his arm around her and, in spite of the gross and smelly nature of her once-flawless clothing; they snuggled up together and started dancing.

“Mmm,” she remarked, rubbing her face in his neck, “you smell good.”

“Shaved for you.” Which was their old signal that yes, sex was on for the night. He was humming Elvis in her ear, obnoxiously but beautifully.

“Good,” she smirked. “I get cranky when I don’t get my Ash time.”

“I…uh…loveyou,” he mumbled, soft and low, in a voice only she could hear.

She chuckled, rubbed her face in his chest, and said she loved him back loud enough for everyone to hear. He knew then that he’d always love her – even back at the hotel, when only sex existed to bind them together, he’d felt something special for her. And now, dancing in the parlor of her best friend, he realized that he’d never let her go.

Smelly or not, covered in Deadite guts or not – they were a family, and always would be.


End file.
